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otherpower.com and troubles

Started by mobile_bob, June 11, 2012, 12:35:15 PM

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mobile_bob

most of you guys are either members of the otherpower.com windpower forum, and know of DanB and DanF

they report today that while they are teaching a class in wisconsin a fire has taken their homes and corporate shop!

reports are they have lost 99% of everything!

more as it becomes available

just wanted to let the membership know

bob g

Frank S

I hope the reports are worse than things really are but I know how fire can wipe you out almost instantly . when you are away it makes it seam that much worse, but had they been home in all likely hood there would have been little they could have done, or possibly they themselves could have been injured.
some will never escape the confines of the box. I've lived outside of mine for so long that I can no longer even find my box

Tom Reed

Sorry to hear that, I hope the recover quickly.
Ashwamegh 6/1 - ST5 @ just over 4000 hrs
ChangChi NM195
Witte BD Generator

Tom

mobile_bob

update from Dan

Hello all!
Thanks for your concern.
We have good news and bad news to report, and remember we are reporting from Wisconsin where we have been since June 1.

Good news:
As of 1 AM this morning (June 11) the fire had NOT torched our houses, nor those of Scotty or George. At the time I was emailing with Steadfast about towers, DanB and I were observing a map posted by CBS news TV in Denver that showed that both George and Scotty's houses were gone, and ours were burning. Fortunately, we found out early this afternoon that that map was INCORRECT. (way to go, TV news---assholes!)

At this time the fire is about 1 mile NE of Otherpower HQ, the wind is driving it away from us, but it does continue to "creep" against the wind towards us at an unknown rate. We will find out more early tomorrow AM after the USFS flies the perimeter with infrared cameras again.

Bad news:
The official perimeter map from the Sheriff (link below) confirms that the fire DID indeed go through Fieldlines.com moderator/diplomat  TimS property. It could be over a week until he finds out if his house survived...heavy smoke prevents aerial survey of destroyed homes during daylight, and roads blocked by downed trees prevent ground troops from entering.
Also, because the fire is currently spreading so fast towards town, very few firefighting resources are being spent to protect a few off-grid hippie houses on the upwind side of the fire. Which is exactly as it should be.....lives are STILL in danger down there by town. And one death has been confirmed already, there may be more. USFS -- all y'all can just leave my house alone, it has a good chance of surviving on its own. Save those townies, and their animals, and don't worry about our houses, "stuff" and least of all our trees.

We have performed our fire mitigation efforts dutifully over the last few years. Cisterns and stock tanks are full for the firefighters. DanB forgot to post instructions for them on how to pump from his well; I forgot the same for my spring. I forgot my passport, forgot to video and list all my "stuff" for the insurance company, and was gone so all my financial records could disappear too (good riddance--red ink). Let the IRS figure that out. My folks saved my cats, cameras, and guns. A mirror of all our computer files goes with me everywhere anyway, it's here in Wisconsin with us.

Again thanks for your thoughts.
Here;s the map (now 20 hours old)
http://www.co.larimer.co.us/emergency/highpark.pdf

Otherpower HQ is about one mile SW of "Basking Dog Road" label (love that road name!)
TimS house is unfortunately in the middle of the gray burned area, near the Section 25 marker on Rist creek road.

DAN F

maybe they dodged a bullet?

bob g

Geno

I hope I'm wrong but this fire map from the 28th shows an uncontrolled fire line close to the area Dan describes above. Let's all hope for the best.

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ftp/InciWeb/COARF/2012-06-09-15:25-high-park-fire/picts/pict-20120628-102922-0.jpeg

Gene

mobile_bob

Dan posted an update today
it can be seen here

http://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,146851.0/topicseen.html

looks like maybe they dodged a big bullet, hopefully that is how it works out for them
sounds like many other folks are not so lucky

bob g

Tom Reed

Password protected board there, could you post the gist of the post here?
Ashwamegh 6/1 - ST5 @ just over 4000 hrs
ChangChi NM195
Witte BD Generator

Tom